


Return to Sender

by Verbal



Category: Legion of Super-Heroes (Comics)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:27:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25598047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Verbal/pseuds/Verbal
Summary: Rond receives a visitor from the (not particularly far-off) past. Or, Querl tries to fix his life just a little and starts with a friend.
Kudos: 5





	Return to Sender

**Author's Note:**

> This is sort of set in the post-ZH era, but I've taken some liberties with it.

It was an early winter day, one of those days when the ground was tinged with a thin layer of frost and the wind was just beginning to feel sharp against your face. There wasn’t a knock at the door to Rond’s office, so as it slid open and he looked up from the pile of tests and lab results on his desk he had expected to face on of his students, or perhaps someone from the faculty who had decided to come heap more work onto his plate. He had not expected to be met with one of his former colleagues standing there, dressed in a slightly too large, black jacket with a white paper bag clutched in one hand.

It had been a while since he had seen Querl in person. Their interactions had been limited to brief holocalls since the Coluan had left the institute, but it wasn’t like he had ever been hard to pick out in a crowd and an additional decimetre of height and about as much hair didn’t change that. He gave Rond a crooked smile and held up the somewhat crinkled bag towards him.

“Hello Rond. Cicada said that you would be interested in having lunch now."

Rond had never really taken Querl for a lunch kind of person, though he couldn't say that it was a thought that crossed his mind often, especially not lately. During the time they had worked together Querl had shown himself to be remarkably proficient at everything that required little to no social interaction, which Rond had been fine with because it wasn’t like he was a social butterfly either, but it left little room for casual lunch dates. Yet there they were, each taking a seat on opposite sides of Rond’s hastily cleared desk and opening up the boxes in the bag, filling the room with the warm smell of spices. They ate in silence at first, each looking up at the other every now and then but both seemingly reluctant to be the one to break it.

"Are you well?" Querl finally asked, his wording lifting a tension from the room that Rond wasn’t sure he’d even been aware of before it was gone.

"Yeah, I've been busy with the institute and setting up the new upper level classes, but things are fine. At least I have my own office now." Rond made a sweeping motion with his fork. Just his white, coffee-stained desk and the three chairs around it made the office feel crowded, and the piles and piles of holo tapes and file drives that littered every flat surface did not help, but it was without a doubt an office. 

"You certainly do,” Querl replied, his gaze moving along with Rond’s gesture. The bright, white lights above them, seemingly more suited for a lab than an office, washed out his skin to a pale, almost sickly green.

"Well what about you? Is life as a superhero as exciting as it sounds?” Querl snorted and rolled his eyes at that, but something about his expression seemed to soften as he did.

“I’m fine, and it’s a very different kind of life,” he said.

“I can imagine that.” It had surprised Rond when Querl left the institute to help Brande with the formation of his team. At first Rond had thought it to be a short leave of absence while Querl helped set up their headquarters, but it wasn’t long before he caught a glimpse of him standing alongside Brande’s heroes in a news broadcast, spandex and all. As much as Rond hadn’t taken him for a lunch person he’d certainly never taken him for a superhero person, not with the way he seemed to barely tolerate other people and their ‘illogical’ feelings. “It seems like an interesting experience.”

“You could call it that.” Querl was staring down at his food, pushing it around in the cartoon in a slow, circular motion. Rond’s own food was starting to look a little cool and hard around the edges, and a quick glance down at his holowatch confirmed that the better part of his lunch break had already gone by.

“Not that it’s not nice to see you, but did you come here for any particular reason?” As much as Rond would have liked to stay and socialise he had an afternoon class to teach, a large class of second year students who didn’t seem particularly interested in anything he had to say, and the class was hard enough to teach when he was on time for it.

“I-” Querl cleared his throat, raising his gaze to fixate it at something just to the left of Rond’s head. “I wanted to thank you. For working with me while I was at the institute and for allowing me to consult with you on matters that have come up since then.” Rond smiled politely, unsure of what he was expected to say to that. 

“Some of my more recent experiences have made me reconsidering a lot of my previous positions, and I have come to believe that you deserve more gratitude than I have previously afforded you”, Querl continued, his bright green eyes flicking over to meet Rond’s for a split second before retreating back to the wall beside him.

“Huh.” Of all the things he would have expected Querl to come to him for, this hadn't made the list. Though they had worked together for years, spending uncountable evenings and nights together in the lab and library, he’d never felt like Querl had been ungrateful towards him. There had been times when he’d been short or mean, but he’d never seemed to take Rond’s intellect and contributions for granted, which was more than Rond could say for many of his faculty colleagues. “Thank you? I mean, it’s fine?” He said, raking one hand through his hair.

“Oh, good.” Querl nodded a little. “I’m glad.”

“So, well...” Rond swallowed and put his take out box down on an empty spot on his desk. “How come you came to me with this now?” It had been weeks since they’d last spoken, longer yet since they’d actually seen each other and as far as he knew the world wasn’t ending, but there was a weight to Querl’s words that almost made it seem like it was about to.

“My estimates showed that it was more likely that my apology would be better received if I expressed it sooner rather than later.” Because where would he be without his estimates, Rond thought, glancing down at his watch again.

“That makes sense,” he said, standing up. “Look, I’m sorry, but I have to go teach a class now. It was nice talking to you though, it’s really been too long.”

“It has,” Querl said, following suit.

“Feel free to come around some other day. I’m free, ah, sometimes. Maybe call first?” Rond smiled sheepishly at Querl, earning a small smile in return.

“Perhaps I will.”


End file.
